Firefighter injured while fighting house fire in Otis Orchard Wednesday night

Flames from the unoccupied Otis Orchards home that was destroyed by fire Wednesday night reportedly rekindled Thursday.

Jeff Smetzler, a Spokane Valley Fire Department spokesperson, said Thursday’s fire at 19918 E. Crestwood Lane was small, so the initial full response was cut down to two fire engines and a water tender.

He said the house, which was a complete loss Wednesday, is large with a lot of wooden materials inside, so the remaining embers are difficult to extinguish. Plus, the closest fire hydrant is a half-mile away, so water to put the fire out is limited.

He said crews will continue to monitor the hot spots but minor flareups could happen in the next couple of days. Smetzler said the smoldering hot spots are not a threat to spreading beyond the house’s footprint.

The cause of the initial fire is unknown and under investigation.

A firefighter was injured during the Wednesday night blaze, in which Spokane Valley firefighters responded to reports of a house fire at 19918 E. Crestwood Lane at about 10 p.m.

Crews saw flames from Trent Avenue as they headed to the scene, the fire department said in a news release. Firefighters began to knock down the blaze but quickly ran out of water, the department said.

More engines connected their hoses but also ran out of water, and the closest hydrant was a half-mile away.

Newman Lake and Hauser Lake fire departments provided water, according to the news release. Trucks shuttled water nonstop to battle the blaze, but due to the size of the fire when crews arrived and water supply issues, a large part of the home was destroyed.

The home had been unoccupied since June, the fire department said.

One firefighter was hurt and taken to a local hospital as a precaution, fire Capt. Scott Crawford said.

The fire department reminded residents to stay away from fire and emergency scenes when crews are working. On this fire, crews occupied the entire road with long hoses strung to fire trucks and trucks shuttling water back and forth.

A few cars had to be turned away from the area, Crawford said.